Joe Cole ready for central Liverpool role against Arsenal

The Reds' No.10 featured in his favoured role in the Europa League clash at home to FK Rabotnicki and is now eager to crank it up a notch on his league bow versus the Gunners.

"Arsenal is a tough game for anybody, especially early on in the season because they've got a young team," Cole told liverpoolfc.tv.

"Younger players get fitter and sharper quicker so it's a very tough game for us.

"I think it's the toughest game we could have had but we've got to thrive on that challenge and I'm looking forward to being part of this great team."

He added: "I loved my first game at Anfield. I enjoyed 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. I made a point of putting that in the memory bank. That was a special moment for me.

"I enjoyed making the goal for David but mainly I enjoyed playing in a central position. It has been seven years since I have played there regularly. I was blowing the cobwebs off a little bit, but there are things that I need to work on and things I have done well.

"I love the responsibility of defending and attacking. It just suits my attributes better. I've not got blistering pace so playing on the wing you have to be a little bit more clever but playing in the middle I can find the space and do things from there so I enjoy it."